CAG report flags several academic, administrative lapses at Osmania University

Once highly revered for its academic excellence, Osmania University has witnessed a systemic breakdown caused by its own governance issues, besides administrative, academic, and financial challenges.

The Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, for the year ended March 2022, tabled on March 30 (Thursday), raised several such concerns over the university’s declining standards and reputation.

According to the audit, key governance bodies such as the Academic Senate and the College Development Council (CDC) failed to conduct mandatory meetings, and hence critical decisions were delayed. The report also noted inadequate representation in the CDC and delays in forming the Finance Committee, and non-reconstitution of Boards of Studies in 36 departments.

The audit laid bare the university’s academic functioning and noted that its 43 departments failed to revise their curricula. Moreover, several of its affiliated colleges continued to operate without accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). Its shortage of faculty members only grew.

While the recommended level of Faculty-Student Ratio at educational institutions is 1:15, it ranged between 1:23 and 1:33 at Osmania University. Consequently, student outcomes too remained inconsistent. Placement rates fluctuated between 26% and 54% in recent years, and the absence of career and counselling cells in several colleges further compounded the issue, the report noted.

Pointing to its strategic planning, it said that its Vision Document prepared in 2018 was not effectively implemented, and targets such as increasing international student enrolment were not achieved. Financial constraints, infrastructure deficiencies, and weak research output contributed to the university’s overall decline. Due to these issues, the university’s Overall National Institutional Ranking fell from 38 in 2017 to 64 in 2023. Moreover, its Overall University Ranking also fell from 23 in 2017 to 36 in 2023.

The report further recommended that the university, with support from the State government, should ensure that all administrative and academic bodies are properly constituted and regularly reviewed. It should implement short, medium, and long-term plans to achieve its institutional goals, prioritise accreditation and quality enhancement, and ensure all affiliated institutions obtain accreditation within a specified timeframe. The university should strengthen internal resource generation, including collecting lease rentals, fill teaching and non-teaching vacancies, maintain adequate infrastructure, and ensure that all funds are utilised strictly for their intended purposes.